Elissa Hunter-Dorans: 空椅仔 (Khang í-á)
Translated by Kiú-kiong
1970年上尾的暗暝，A-la-pa的In-bo-nis這搭咧慶祝火把節（Hogmanay）。市內販厝著按呢活過來，一間一間相𤲍做伙，鬧熱𩑾𩑾，袂輸在地傳統格仔花紋遐活跳跳。絃仔跤𪜶當咧用草地絃仔（Fiddle）挨民謠。眾人綴板嘹踏跤步，柴頭塗跤坱埃綴咧趒。逐家跳甲吱吱叫，聽著若成放煙火起五彩，人聲沖沖滾。遮足熱場，毋過大廳中央煞𫞼一隻空椅仔，若成牛皮佮柴頭做的人咧顧暝，無振動閣恬寂寂。從到今這隻椅仔無人去共動，嘛毋敢去共坐。逐年火把節阿媽攏會𫞼一隻椅仔了後講：「這是欲予自由教（An Eaglais Shaor）的。」著算無人聽有伊實際是欲講啥，阮猶是照伊講的做。
阮踅彼隻椅仔那跳舞那講笑詼。
「我按算伊今年袂來囉，話頭講轉來，siáng知伊有影會來無？」阮阿母講甲家己咧笑，笑甲喙䫌仔會紅。
[…]
1970 nî siāng-bóe ê àm-mê, A-la-pa ê In-bo-nis chit-tah leh khèng-chiok Hóe-pé-cheh (Hogmanay). Chhī-lāi hoàn-chhù tio̍h án-ne oa̍h kòe—lâi, chi̍t keng chi̍t keng sio kheh chò-hóe, nāu-jia̍t chhih-chhih, bē-su chāi-tē thoân-thóng keh-á hoe-bûn hia oa̍h-thiàu-thiàu. Hiân-á-kha in tng-leh ēng chháu-tē-hiân-á (Fiddle) e bîn-iâu. Chèng-lâng tòe pán-liâu ta̍h kha-pō͘, chhâ-thâu thô͘-kha eng-ia tòe leh tiô. Ta̍k-ke thiàu kah ki-ki-kiò, thiaⁿ-tio̍h nā sêng pàng-ian-hóe khí ngó͘-chhái, lâng siaⁿ chhiâng-chhiâng-kún. Chia chiok jia̍t-tiûⁿ, m̄-koh tōa-thiaⁿ tiong-ng soah chhāi chi̍t-chiah khang í-á, nā sêng gû-phôe kap chhâ-thâu chò ê lâng leh kò͘-mê, bô tín-tāng koh tiām-che̍k-che̍k. Chêng-kàu-taⁿ che chiah í-á bô-lâng khì kā tāng, mā m̄-káⁿ khì kā chē. Ta̍k-nî Hóe-pé-cheh a-má lóng ē chhāi chi̍t-chiah í-á liáu-āu kóng: “Che sī beh hō͘ Chū-iû-kàu (An Eaglais Shaor)—ê.” tio̍h-sǹg bô-lâng thiaⁿ-ū i si̍t-chè sī beh kóng siáⁿ, goán iáu-sī chiàu i kóng ê chò. Goán se̍h hit chiah í-á ná thiàu-bú ná kóng-chhiò-khoe.
“Góa àn-sǹg i kin-nî bē lâi—lo͘h, ōe-thâu kóng tńg—lâi, siáng chai i ū-iáⁿ ē-lâi bô” Goán a-bó kóng-kah ka-kī leh chhiò, chhiò kah chhùi-phóe-á ē âng.
[…]
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